Bryan Schwartzman

A presidential candidates' forum, held at Temple Sinai in Dresher -- a gathering that featured sharply worded questions from the audience regarding some of Barack Obama's previous associations and John McCain's choice for vice president -- went on more or less as originally scheduled, despite a decision by the Obama campaign not to participate in any programs that included representatives...

In October 2006, the month before the midterm elections, 106 American soldiers lost their lives in Iraq. At that point, the Sunni and Sh'ite populations appeared embroiled in a full-scale civil war. On the home front, the conflict grew increasingly unpopular. Voters, angry over the direction of the war, decided to punish the party and handed congressional Republicans a historic...

With Election Day fast approaching and both sides continuing their last-minute efforts to garner support within the Jewish community, a Montgomery County congregation found itself caught in the middle of a political dustup between Barack Obama's campaign and the Republican Jewish Coalition. Originally, State Rep. Josh Shapiro (D-District 153) -- who has assumed an outsized role in promoting Obama within...

For years, Cheltenham resident Larry Angert attended services practically every Shabbat, and found joy in the music and rituals, even as he struggled with the theological content of the liturgy. The 57-year-old grew up in the Conservative movement, tutored Bar Mitzvah students and sent his daughter to Jewish day school. But, roughly 13 years ago, Angert said he came to...

While all signs are pointing to the economy as the decisive issue in the upcoming election, both locally and nationally, it was questions on foreign policy and Iraq that drew the most-forceful responses during a debate at a Bucks County synagogue between U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-District 8) and Republican challenger Tom Manion. "It's time for the Iraqi government to...

Profile

Bryan Schwartzman has been reporting on the Jewish community of Philadelphia since 2003. After 10 years as a staff writer, he now occasionally freelances for the Exponent. He writes about trends in politics, religion and spirituality, philanthropy and sometimes dabbles in sports and the arts.

He has received numerous awards from the Pennsylvania Society of Professional Journalists, the Jewish American Press Association and other organizations.

A native New Yorker, he earned a master’s degree in modern Jewish history and literature from the Jewish Theological Seminary. He is also a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.